Facilities & Services

The facilities at STAM enable our world class research in Additive Manufacturing, Machining and Joining, and Manufacturing Process Analytics.

These wide ranging capabilities, combined with our expertise and knowledge, allow us to offer services such as rapid prototyping, mechanical testing, imaging microscopy, rapid evaluation, and data logging and analysis.

Additive Manufacturing Facilities

STAM has a new focus on Additive Manufacturing, with strong links to the new 3DAMN (Additive Manufacturing Nano-Materials Facility) laboratory in AMBER, and a large amount of current work concentrating on DFAM (Design For Additive Manufacturing). STAM also has the only Cold Spray facility in Ireland.

3D Metal Printers

In Collaboration with AMBER STAM has access to the new 3DAMN laboratory, and its high performance Additive Manufacturing technologies. The Realizer SLM 50 and ProX DMP 200 are high-performance, high-quality 3D printing alternative to traditional manufacturing processes, offering reduced waste, greater speeds for production, short set up times, very dense metal parts, and the ability to produce very complex assemblies as single parts.

They produce consistently high accuracy parts with exceptional surface finish and resolution, minimal waste of materials and the ability to produce parts not normally manufacturable using traditional methods with a shortened production time and increased part precision, using a broad choice of materials.

Realizer SLM 50

Specifications

Technology

Selective Laser Melting

Materials

Metallic powder

Max building size (X Y Z)

70x70x40 mm

Min layer height

20 microns

Max layer height

50 microns

3D Systems DMP ProX 200

Specifications

Technology

Direct Metal Laser Sintering

Materials

Metallic powder

Max building size (X Y Z)

140x140x125 mm

Min layer height

10 microns

Max layer height

50 microns

Cold Spray

Cold Spray (CS) is an innovative coating manufacturing process, which allows for the formation of material layers in a solid-state (free of melting) manner. STAM operates the only Cold Spray facility in Ireland, and is at the cutting edge of research and development of the process

In this method, the feedstock material (in the form of powder) is injected at the inlet of a converging-diverging supersonic nozzle. The nozzle is fed with high pressure gas (nitrogen or helium), which expands through the internal channel and reaches supersonic speed at the exit (above 1000m/s). Particles are dragged by the fast jet, and upon impact against a substrate material they plastically deform and stay bonded.

The density of the coating can be very high, combined with astonishing build rates to approach 250g/min. Also, the solid-state nature of the process allows for the preservation of feedstock properties/micro-structure and the elimination of Heat Affected Zones (HAZ).

Typical applications relate to wear resistance, corrosion protection and change of surface properties. Due to the bonding mechanism, not metallurgically compatible combinations are possible such as for the deposition of metals onto polymers and composites for aerospace, automotive and bioengineering applications.

STAM Cold Spray Facility

Specifications

Technology

Cold Spray

Materials

Metallic powder

Maximum Pressure

40 bar

Max Particle Velocity

> 1000 m/s

Max Gas Heater Temp

1000 C

Design For Additive Manufacturing (DFAM)

Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) is design for manufacturability as applied to additive manufacturing (AM). STAM uses a range of design methods and tools to fully explore and optimise functional performance and other key product life-cycle considerations such as manufacturability, reliability, and cost when manufacturable items are subjected to the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies.

Technology

Computer Aided Design Laboratory

CAD Software: SolidWorks, Creo

Finite Element Analysis: Ansys Workbench

3D Printing Software: Materialise

Polymer and Ceramic 3D Printers

Lithoz

Specifications

Technology

Laser Lithography

Materials

Ceramics and Polymers

Resolution

40 (x) 40 (y) 20 (z) nanometres

Build Volume

73 (x) 43 (y) 150 (z) mm

Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT

Specifications

Technology

Laser Lithography

Materials

Polymers

Resolution

160 (x) 160 (y) 160 (z) nanometres

Build Volume

10 (x) 10 (y) 10 (z) mm

Formlabs Form 2

Specifications

Technology

Stereolithography (SLA)

Materials

Polymers

Resolution

140 (x) 140 (y) 25 (z) microns

Build Volume

145 (x) 145 (y) 175 (z) mm

Machining & Joining

In addition to a fully equipped Mechanical Workshop STAM also has access to micro milling, laser cutting and friction stir welding equipment.

Aerotech Micro Milling Machine

Specifications

Technology

Micro Milling

Materials

Polymers

Output Power

100/150W

Precision

+/- 5 microns

Cooling System

Vortex Tubes

Friction Stir Welding (FSW)

Specifications

Technology

Friction Stir Welding

Materials

Aluminium, Steel, Polymers

BRM 90130 Laser Cutting Machine

Specifications

Technology

Laser cutting

Materials

Metal, wood, polymer, ceramics.

Output Power

100/150W

Precision

+/- 0.1mm

Max Running Speed

1000 mm/s

Max workpiece size

900x1300x230 mm

Testing and Process Monitoring Facilities

STAM has a range of testing and evaluation equipment, including for force measurements, process monitoring, data acquisition, and for evaluating material properties through Tensile, Compression, Fatigue and Hardness tests

Measurements and Data Acquisition

We have a range of equipment for measuring forces such as cutting, axial, torque and deflective forces when drilling, threadcutting etc., enabling high resolution measurements of the smallest dynamic changes in large forces. We also have a suite of capacities with regards the development of tailored control & monitoring solutions for facilities, equipment condition monitoring, and manufacturing process applications.

Mechanical Testing Equipment

We have a range of Instron and other equipment for evaluating material properties through Tensile (including up to 50 kN pull force), Compression, Fatigue and Hardness tests.

Equipment

3 Instron servo-hydraulic testing machines

3 Instron screw-driven tensile testing machines

1 MTS Tytron electromagnetic testing machine

Hardness testing machines (macro, micro and nano)

Charpy/Izod impact tester

Imaging Facilities

Alongside imaging technology such as high speed cameras, STAM has access to the CRANN Advanced Microscopy Labratory (AML), a custom designed, 6,000 square foot facility, located in the Trinity Technology and Enterprise Campus.

Access to The Advanced Microscopy Laboratory in CRANN

The CRANN Advanced Microscopy Labratory (AML) is a custom designed, 6,000 square foot facility, located in the Trinity Technology and Enterprise Campus.

The research equipment includes a Carl Zeiss Helium Ion Microscope [HIM], an FEI Titan Transmission Electron Microscope [TEM], and five other high specification scanning electron and focused ion beam microscopes. The Titan is the highest resolution TEM in Ireland and has powerful analytic capability. The HIM is one of only a handful in Europe, giving higher imaging resolution than a traditional scanning electron microscope, and is the only one located in Ireland.

Zeiss Orion Plus — Helium Ion Microscope

FEI Titan — Transmission Electron Microscope

Zeiss Auriga — Focused Ion Beam (FIB) with Cobra ion column

FEI Strata 235 — Focused Ion Beam

Zeiss Ultra Plus — Scanning Electron Microscope

Zeiss Electron Beam Lithography SEM — Supra 40

Zeiss Electron Beam Lithography SEM — EVO 50

Fischione NanoMill 1040

Zeiss ORION Nanofab

XT H 225 ST Industrial CT scanning (In collaboration with AMBER)

The XT H 225 ST is a Computed Tomography (CT) system ideally suited to a wide range of materials and sample sizes, especially those that are too large or heavy for other systems in the range. the system has three interchangeable sources; the 225 kV reflection target, 180 kV transmission target and the optional 225 kV rotating target.

Specifications

Technology

Computed Tomography

Source

225 kV microfocus X-ray source

Output Power

100/150W

Precision

3 micron focal spot size

Max Sample Weight

50 kg

Max Sample Size

50 cm diameter

HotShot 1700 cc High Speed Camera

A ruggedized, compact highspeed camera system.

Specifications

Technology

CMOS Sensor

Max. Frame Rate

100,000 fps

Max. Resolution

1696 by 1720

Bit Depth

10 bit

Our Services

STAM has a long and established track record in applied research in manufacturing engineering and in engagement with the manufacturing industry in Ireland and internationally, through collaboration, design support and project delivery.

In particular, we have a suite of capacities with regards additive manufacturing, the development of tailored control & monitoring solutions for facilities, equipment condition monitoring, and manufacturing process applications.

Our flexible and collaborative approach delivers efficient, accurate, and robust products and results, as well as the tools to leverage test data for effective results analysis.

We are comfortable developing custom turnkey systems or working alongside your company’s R&D team to deliver your vision.

Manufacturing Process Analytics

STAM, through application investigations in manufacturing processes and New Process Introduction (NPrI), can enable smart manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 capabilities, and also offers services such as consultation, process infield logging and sensing, and process design and refinement through use of custom built hardware and software linkage, e.g. via LabVIEW.

We can develop systems using a variety of software and hardware platforms (custom and off-the-shelf), data acquisition systems, and control methods. Over the last number of years, we have been using the LabVIEWTM software development system in both teaching & research. Our researchers and technical staff have experience and expertise in the development of data acquisition, logging, visualisation and the implementation of machine interface and control using this development platform.

Testing

Our capabilities allow for comprehensive testing of components and materials regards materials properties via mechanical testing such as strain testing and compressive testing, imaging and sensing for rapid test and evaluation, such as accelerated lifetime testing, to be performed, analysed and reported upon. We also offer force measurement services.